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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24298306">Hereafter, in a better [time]</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/SorrowSeye/pseuds/SorrowSeye'>SorrowSeye</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Booster Gold (Comics), DCU</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Ambiguous/Open Ending, Angst, Bromance, Feels, Fluff and Angst, Friendship, Future booster comes back to see Ted, Gen, Humor, One Shot, Sad, Sort Of, Ted knows what's up</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-05-21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-05-21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 02:01:02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>868</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24298306</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/SorrowSeye/pseuds/SorrowSeye</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Booster knows Ted is smart. It's only smart to worry about each other.</p><p>(Or: we get to see Ted react to future Booster coming back to see him. What about present Booster reacting to Ted reacting to future Booster?)</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Michael Carter &amp; Ted Kord</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>15</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Hereafter, in a better [time]</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>If Booster knew one thing, it was that Ted Kord was very smart; smarter than any 'hero' ever gave him credit for. He was always tinkering with a gadget of some kind, and Booster was happy to watch his rambling and fiddling- even if he didn't understand what Ted was saying. If they were looking over a crime scene, Ted would pull out some sherlock-styled sleuthmanship and crack the case before Booster could figure out what the case was.</p><p>Something else Booster knew about Ted? He was good at lying. When he wanted to, when he really cared, he could pull a lie right out of his metaphorical hat. That's why Booster could totally trust him with his time-travel shenanigans. It took him much longer to realize Ted's tells, but he made sure to catch those hints of fallacy as soon as he realized Ted had been lying. </p><p>Not exactly lying; rather, secret-keeping. His smile would be more forced, he would cut back on the teasing, he'd suggest they go out and do something fun. Ted really was a good guy, and Booster knew he cared, but he worried when Ted worried- because they were supposed to be the bros, the goof-offs, the slackers- right? Obviously, that wasn't true, but they were prone to jokes in hard times nonetheless. That's why he worried; because some of Ted's jokes in those moments wouldn't seem like jokes.</p><p>Was Booster really that beat-up in the future? It didn't take a genius to figure out why Ted was acting strangely. It was obviously a future Booster coming back in time to visit the glory days. He couldn't meet them, but he hated that Ted was talking to them and then lying right to his face. He knew it was protocol, but... God, he hated time travel.</p><p>"Roofs are the best. The future's buildings reach up so high, looking at the sky is like looking through a window." Booster grinned, staring up into the vast array of stars. They were sitting on the top of a building together, looking out into the night for lack of better pastimes.</p><p>"Space is pretty cool." Ted agreed. He was hunched over, one foot dangling above the edge and one knee hugged to his chest. No costume, just a stupid T-shirt; 'Booster Gold Fanclub'. The merchandise hadn't caught on.</p><p>"Nah, not space. Time and space are just... Dumb. I'm talking real, genuine sky." Booster opened his arms for emphasis. </p><p>"Booster, sky is space." Ted chuckled, brows raised. Booster rolled his eyes.</p><p>"Don't ruin this for me." he grumbled, exaggerating purposefully for comedic effect. Ted chuckled again. He wouldn't laugh; Booster had to up his game.</p><p>"Hey Goldilocks?" Ted said suddenly, the nickname coming off as somewhat forced, "If something was wrong, you would tell me, right?"</p><p>"Well yeah, I'm not great at solving my own problems. Nobody can find a shoe quite like you!" Booster assured. There was this one time that his boot flew off during battle, and he entirely forgot- so when he couldn't find his boot at home, he thought he had misplaced it (they had developed pretty short attention spans in the future), and asked Ted for help. Ted went straight to the scene of the crime, finding the boot in the wreckage; just like a real detective. Beat that, Batman!</p><p>"No like- you can trust me with your baggage, alright? It's okay to feel down once in a while- and even if we fight, you can come beat some sense into me, and I'll listen." Ted insisted. Booster took his legs away from the drop of sky-scraper ledge, pulling them into himself as he grew quiet. He didn't meet Ted's gaze; he knew those dumb puppy eyes would be filled with concern.</p><p>"Yeah, I know. What's eating atcha, Teddy?" he mumbled.</p><p>"What? Nothing. Can't a guy comfort his pal?" Ted mocked shock. He was lying, and he was doing a darn bad job at it this time around. Or maybe Booster had just gotten used to his tells now.</p><p>"That's gay." Booster joked. He couldn't help himself, not when there was a perfect opportunity to lighten the mood and change the subject.</p><p>"It's the twenty-first century, Booster, grow up!" Ted groaned, pushing the golden hero in a teasing manner. Booster laughed, rubbing his shoulder.</p><p>"Careful, you could hurtle me off the building." he warned.</p><p>"You can fly!" Ted cried, and this time the wrinkles around his eyes and smile were of genuine happiness.</p><p>"But my shame... It's so heavy..." Booster drew a hand over his forehead dramatically, falling backwards. Ted laughed. Booster laughed; that was all he had wanted. Everything in it's place. He didn't have to wonder why Ted was so worried. </p><p>He didn't have to, but he did. And he knew Ted couldn't tell him, and he knew he couldn't ask.</p><p>But if Ted he was doing something, he was doing it with a purpose; and if he needed to reassure Booster for no reason whatsoever, then Booster would trust his judgment. He would trust that Ted could figure out what to do with future him. Because if Booster knew one thing, it was that Ted Kord was very smart.</p>
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